China's vehicle sales in July are estimated to total around 2.08 million, up 14.9 percent from the same month last year, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on Wednesday.

The association said the forecast was made based on sales data it had collected from key carmakers in the country.

Passenger vehicle sales went up 5.3 percent in the month, while commercial vehicles including buses and trucks surged 59.6 percent, the association said.

Many carmakers' sales rose last month. Ford's premium arm Lincoln sold 5,600 vehicles, up 53 percent year-on-year. Sino-Japanese joint venture Dongfeng Honda delivered 94,238 units, up 13.5 percent from the same month last year.

Despite the rebound, the association expected vehicle sales from January to July to fall 12.7 percent year-on-year to 12.34 million units because of the slump in the first half, which was primarily the result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The association expects vehicle sales to further improve in the second half of the year, but China's auto market is likely to see a double-digit fall for the entire year, the association said.